A public feud has erupted between conservative commentators Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro regarding the assassination of Turning Point USA founder, Charlie Kirk.
Owens, a former member of TPUSA, took to X on Friday to vehemently slam Shapiro, accusing him of “lying through his teeth” during his recent appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show.
The Allegation and Denial
The central issue stems from a claim Shapiro made while speaking to Megyn Kelly, where he argued that Owens’ recent behavior was “evil” and urged Kelly to condemn it. Shapiro stated:
“…if this were on the left and somebody were accusing Charlie Kirk of his wife having murdered him, I assume that you would be talking about it,” directly asking Kelly to weigh in on the matter.
Owens immediately denied ever making such a claim, writing on X:
“He said that I accused Erika Kirk of murdering Charlie Kirk. This quite literally is made up out of thin air.”
She escalated her attack on Shapiro, claiming his intent was malicious: “That is beyond smearing. He tried to pressure Megyn Kelly to make a statement about me by lying through his teeth and EXPLICITLY stating that I accused Erika Kirk of killing her husband… He is completely deranged.” Owens added that she was looking forward to addressing the issue on her own show.
Owens’ Previous Conspiracy Theories
While Owens specifically denied accusing Erika Kirk of murder, she has actively promoted several conspiracy theories following Charlie Kirk’s assassination:
- TPUSA Involvement: She has suggested that Turning Point USA had a hand in covering up elements of the case.
- Alleged Israeli Link: Owens also floated the unproven theory of alleged Israeli involvement in the assassination.
She has not provided any evidence or proof to support either of these claims.
Background on Charlie Kirk’s Death
Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of TPUSA, was fatally shot while attending an event at Utah Valley University on September 10. Authorities have since arrested 22-year-old Utah resident Tyler Robinson and charged him with murder. If convicted, Robinson could face the death penalty.
Erika Kirk, who is now the CEO of TPUSA, addressed the swirl of conspiracy theories and AI-generated misinformation after her husband’s death. Speaking to Jesse Watters on Fox News, she asked for privacy and respect: “Please pray and consider and think about whatever you put online, because it’ll impact their kids in the future,” adding that “some grace would be nice.”